Accustomed to a small town life in Nebraska, Clare is miserable in her new role as manager of an L.A. bookstore. She yearns to return to the simple life on her family’s farm. That is until she literally runs into up-and-coming movie star Dylan Barnes.

Dylan resents the Hollywood limelight. Awaiting the premiere of his first feature film, it would be nice to meet someone real—just not someone who rear-ends his BMW with her oversized truck. Dylan is instantly attracted to Clare and her Midwestern charm. And as he shows her the wonders of California, Clare can’t resist falling in love with the Golden State and its newest star.

From West Coast to East, friendship and love are equally complicated…

On the East Coast, Dylan’s childhood friend, Alex Popovich, loves his carefree life as a minor league ballplayer. He’s the man-whore of Brooklyn, playing the field in more ways than one. So when real feelings for his best friend erupt, Alex isn’t interested.

A gorgeous ballroom dancer-slash-office worker, Jenna Stecco wants her best friend, Alex, to take a leap from friends to more. Busy having one night stands, Alex is quick to let Jenna go, telling her it’s time to give up lost hopes and move on with life.

Complicated turns full on crazy with a tangled love square…

When Dylan returns to New York City, he meets up with Alex and is introduced to the stunning Jenna. Believing Clare is unavailable and Alex isn’t interested, Dylan and Jenna share a night of passion and embark on a long-distance relationship.

Everyone is thrown by this love square, as Dylan, Jenna, Alex, and Clare struggle with their feelings for each other. When Jenna reveals a secret that will change their lives, all hell breaks loose.

As the love square crumbles, the four friends must find a way to rebuild or risk losing love forever.

Alex

Alex and Steve finished another pitcher of sangria while they waited for Dylan.

“Holy shit, with Dylan and Jenna,” Steve said. “How are you handling everything?”

Alex groaned. “They’re both so fucking happy. I had breakfast with them this morning and thought I would throw up. They’re like teenagers making eyes at each other.”

“How can you watch?”

“The whole thing makes me angry, but I know I don’t have a right to be.”

“You’re angry because you’re jealous, you jackass. Because you love her.”

“She told Dylan, you know,” Alex said.

“Told him what? That you’re a jackass?”

“Ha. No. That she loved me.”

“She did? Is she nuts?”

“She told him, ‘It is what it is’ and asked him if he could handle it.”

Steve shook his head. “She’s something.”

“Yeah, something,” Alex agreed. “Anyway, he’ll be gone in a couple of days. Dylan says they are going to try the long-distance relationship thing, but I can’t imagine that working. This has to fizzle out, right?”

“Do you want it to? At least with Dyl, you know he’s not some wacko guy she met online. He’s not the worst person she could be with,” Steve said, then grimaced as he sipped the last of the sangria. “Ah, this is so sweet. I feel my teeth rotting. Anyway, Dylan’s never around, which means you get her to yourself. If you’re not ready to deal with your shit and tell her how you really feel and you’re willing to give her up, at least it’s to Dylan.”

“Like I could compete with D-Barnes. There’s no way she’d want me after being with him.”

Alex leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. A blonde woman at the table next to him smiled his way. All he could think about was Jenna. “Yeah, I guess I forfeited. Why’d I do that again?”

“Because you’re fucked up.”

Jessica Calla is a lawyer by day, romance writer by night. Her favorite time is the kids’ “bedtime,” when she’s free to open the laptop, battle with the blinking cursor, and pour out the contents of her heart. Jessica is a member of Romance Writers of America, involved in the Contemporary, Young Adult, and New Jersey Chapters, and is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. She lives in central New Jersey with her husband, two sons, and her dog. Besides reading and writing, she enjoys movies, coffee, and chocolate and considers herself addicted to Diet Coke and Netflix (in a good way).